


A Day Like Any Other

by simpleapricot



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 06:45:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9372827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpleapricot/pseuds/simpleapricot
Summary: A routine patrol goes wrong, and our heroes must deal with the fallout. How will these events affect Nick and Judy's friendship?





	1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Nicholas Wilde was not a morning fox. His eyes snapped open as he fought the urge to smash the little alarm clock that had woken him. He stretched out his muscles, still aching from the rigor of police work, before pulling himself out of his drawer-turned-bed. He plodded along the length of his apartment with his eyes half-closed, and he narrowly missed hitting the pipe protruding from the ceiling. He stepped into the shower, and braced himself for the ice-cold stream of water.

After the cold, groggy, and wet fox came out of the shower, he gave himself a good shake to dry off. As Nick put on his uniform, he remarked on how well police blue complemented his bright orange fur. He stopped for a second and took a second look at the badge, taking note of the words on it: "Trust, Integrity, Bravery." A small smile appeared on his face as he pinned it to his chest. He was happy that he was finally able to apply those words to himself. Nick picked up his keys, and walked out the door.

By the time Nick walked through the doors of Precinct one there was a noticeable bounce in his step, accentuated by the two cups of coffee he had downed that morning. As he passed by the front desk on the way to the bullpen, Clawhauser greeted him in his usual flamboyant fashion, which was only accentuated when Nick slid a box of donuts onto his desk.

Just before he reached the bullpen, the fox heard small footsteps running down the hallway behind him. "I wonder who that could be." Nick whispered to himself before turning around and facing the culprit.

"Hey Carrots."

"How are you doing, Piberius?" The bunny replied, a familiar smirk on her face.

Nick groaned. He wished he had never told her his mother's "little joke."

"Alright, c'mon Officer Hopps, we've got to get to roll call."

When the Chief's presence was announced, the bullpen broke out into the loud hollering, trumpeting, and howling of the officers of Precinct One. Chief Bogo stepped up to his podium , cleared his throat to silence the more exuberant among them, and began his announcements.

"First order of business, congratulations are due to the following for being approved for promotion from probationary to regular officers. William Stripes, Alexander Kuduson, and Nicholas Wilde."

At this announcement, the fox sat up a little straighter.

"That being said, assignments for today are as follows: Fangmeyer, Del Gato, there has been a string of burglaries in Tundratown, get to the bottom of it. Officers Wilde and Hopps, there's been a vandalism in Savannah Central, find who did it. Everyone else, assignments remain as they were yesterday. Dismissed!"

Nick and Judy stepped up to take the folder from Bogo, and walked to their cruiser to go over the contents. Judy couldn't resist peeking. Nick thought she looked like a kit on Christmas.

Judy ran down to the garage while Nick walked behind her. "Come on!" She yelled. Nick promptly began walking as slow as he could.

"I'll drag you in by one of those pointy ears if I have to, Nick!". Nick jogged the rest of the way to the car.

Nick pulled out a picture of the vandalized convenience store, and remarked, "Looks like a pretty standard tagging to me. Just a message and not much else. Probably some teenager."

"Let's go find them then! No sense waiting around, we've got some justice to dispense!" Judy exclaimed with glee.

Judy ran down to their cruiser while Nick walked behind her. "Come on!" She yelled. Nick promptly began walking as slow as he could.

"I'll drag you in by one of those ears if I have to, Nick!" Nick jogged the rest of the way to the car.

As they drove to the scene, Nick found himself looking out the window at the city around him. Crossing the street, and holding up traffic, was a herd of goats. Clearly surprised at the sight was a pair of rabbits clutching a map. They were tourists from the burrows, Nick guessed. Walking past them was a pair of elephants holding hands and sharing, what else, a jumbo pop. Nick thought back to the first day he had first met the bunny sitting beside him. Were it not for her kindness that day he would have left the store sans jumbo pop and would be without the friend and the life he had today. A voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

"We're here."

"What?" Nick replied.

"We're at the scene of the crime, silly."

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, "That's right, let's get going."

The pair walked up to the wall. It had not been visible in the picture, but Nick noticed a clear message in it now, "Go back to the forest, savage." Nick saw Judy grind her teeth in frustration out of the corner of his eye. Clearly looking to distract herself, she searched around and confirmed that nothing had been left behind by the perpetrator, while Nick looked around to see if there was anywhere nearby that had met the same fate, his characteristic smirk looking a little more forced. "Why don't we go in and ask the store owner if they know anything?" Nick suggested.

The owner, an amicable coyote named Tracy, was unfortunately of little help, saying that there was nobody in the store when it was hit, and there were no security cameras on that side of the building. "You might try asking around to see if anyone else has seen something like this." She added helpfully.

As they walked away from the scene, Judy's ears were nearly dragging on the ground while she complained that the perp would never be brought to justice. As she opened the door to her cruiser, something caught her eye, and she bounded down the street, yelling "STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!"

Nick looked up and saw that that "something" was a white-tailed deer with a can of spray paint, getting ready to tag the adjacent building. The buck noticed Judy and a look of terror formed on his face, Nick thought that he looked like a tad like the prototypical "deer in the headlights." He then darted away down the road, and turned down a nearby alley, and Nick realized that there was only one other place he could come out, by their squad car. Nick sprinted over to the exit of the alley, and when the deer saw Nick waiting there, he skidded to a stop and put his hooves up. "I give up." he said resignedly. Nick remarked to himself that he could not have been older than sixteen, a teenager like he had suspected. He saw Judy pulling out her handcuffs to arrest him.

"You're coming back to the station with us. You have the right to remain silent..." After she had put the buck in the car, Nick pulled her aside. "You're not seriously taking him to the station, are you?"

"What do you mean? He needs to be brought to justice. You saw what he wrote Nick!" Judy replied, her voice tinged with anger.

"Sure I did Judy, but he's just a kid!"

"I don't see how that matters, Nick. If we want to get rid of the anti-predator attitudes in this city, we have to stop people from doing things like this!" She pointed at Nick. "How can you be defending him!"

"Throwing the book at a teenager is going to solve anti-predator bias in Zootopia? Really?" Nick threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I joined the force to get the bad guy. That's why we have police, right? To stop people from doing bad things!"

"Judy, if you put this kid in jail, you're going to do three things" Holding up his paw and counting them off one by one, he furthered "First, he's going to hate the people who arrested him, one of whom so happens to be a fox. Second, you're going to give this kid a stain on his record that he'll never be able to clean off, and third, and maybe you don't understand this because you're a country bunny, this kid is going to go to jail, and you know what? He's going to get into some bigger crimes than writing an edgy slogan on a wall. I've seen it a hundred times. Am I clear?" Nick finished, keeping his voice level despite his frustration.

"So what are we supposed to do then, just let him go?"

"We take him into the store to apologize, then we take him to his parents, if he has any, and give him a warning. The kid gets punished but it's not permanent. Everybody wins."

Judy sighed, "Alright, we'll do it your way this time, but how are we supposed to find his parents in the first place?"

"Just ask him Carrots, you saw how he was, he's just being rebellious, typical teenager," Nick laughed a little at this. "I think you should be the one to talk to him, considering the content of his little message." Nick finished, smirk again planted firmly on his face.

They walked back to the squad car, took out the quivering buck, and Judy pulled him aside and explained the terms that Nick had set down, making sure to note that it had been the predator on their team who had gotten him off the hook this time. The owner agreed not to press charges so long as as the cowering deer, Jamie, agreed to clean the place up.

As they drove Jamie back to his house nearby, he started to sob in the back seat. Nick looked at Judy, who raised her eyebrow. Nick gave a reassuring nod, and she looked back to the road with a sigh.

At the buck's house, they presented Jamie to his mother, a furious doe who swore that Jamie would "never see the light of day again." She thanked the officers for their work, noting that he had been "getting into the wrong crowd recently." With that she closed the door and Nick and Judy were left to go back to the station.

As they went to the precinct Nick noticed Judy fidgeting in her seat. "What's wrong Carrots?" he asked.

"Bogo is going to kill us, we just let off a known criminal, who resisted arrest no less!" Her voice got higher near the end, palpable tension in it.

Nick replied calmly, "He is not going to care, Fluff, this is normal police work. Just because you always book the criminal, even when it's yourself, doesn't mean everyone has to." He chuckled as he remembered that Judy had ticketed herself on her first day.

"I wish I hadn't told you about that." she grumbled, although Nick noticed her shoulders relax a little.

When they arrived at the precinct they heard a familiar sound echoing through the hall, "WILDE! HOPPS! MY OFFICE, NOW!"

After the buffalo had sat down at his desk, he gestured to the two officers to sit. "How did the vandalism case go?" he asked with a blank expression.

"I don't see why you have to yell..." Nick began.

Judy stuttered, cutting him off, "Well...it..."

Nick interjected "We found the vandal, gave him a warning, and brought him home to his mommy."

"And I assume this was not Officer Hopps' idea?" Bogo leaned in towards Nick.

"No, sir, it was mine." Nick said, his expression becoming more serious.

The buffalo leaned back "Good job Officer Wilde, I was planning on talking to Officer Hopps over here about the need for leniency anyway, although it looks like you've knocked some sense into her. File your reports and drop them off with Clawhauser, then you're dismissed for the rest of the day."

As they walked out of the Chief's office, Judy stopped in the hallway. She turned to him and said slowly, "Thanks, Nick."

Nick smiled, "Anytime Carrots."


	2. Chapter 2

"For the last time Nick, we are not stopping to get you another coffee."

"But Carrots, I...need...it...to...survive." Nick fell back into his chair dramatically, feigning death.

"Oh stop, you have to keep watch while I'm driving. We're on duty!"

Nick sighed and sat up, focusing on the sidewalk near the cruiser. His thoughts wandered to the bunny sitting beside him. She had saved him from the pit of self-doubt and self-pity he had lived in nearly his whole life, and yet she thought nothing of it. More than that, Judy had given him a friend. She had trusted him, although he didn't deserve anyone's trust. She had not only given him an opportunity to escape his old life, she had dragged him kicking and screaming out of it.

And now here he was, an officer of the law. He was brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy. His mother was finally proud of her son, and even more, Nick was proud of himself.

"Focus, Nick!" Judy scolded, noticing the fox's glazed-over look.

"Alright, alright, I'll pay more attention...if you buy me a coffee," Nick retorted with a smirk.

Before she could respond, Judy's eyes locked on something down the road.

"That seems...odd," she observed. Nick looked down the road and saw what had gotten her attention, two black vans blocking their path.

"Carrots, I don't recall hearing of any road closures in our briefing today. Let's go talk to the nice mammals and see what's going on, shall we?"

Judy pulled the cruiser over, keeping their distance from the vans. She turned on the loudspeaker.

"ZPD! Please step out of the vehicles!" There was no response. Nick raised an eyebrow, and Judy said again, "This is your last warning! Exit your vehicles and identify yourselves!" Nick moved to the radio to call for backup, but before he could he saw movement in one of the vans. A boar lurched out of the passenger side, and yelled in a raspy voice,

"Alright officers! We're simply setting up for a shot for our new movie! I'm sure everything is on order." He dragged out the last sentence.

Judy stepped out of the car. Nick moved for the door but Judy stopped him, saying, "Stay here, Nick, it's best for you to be in the cruiser if anything happens, keep your paw on the radio."

"Are you sure you don't want me out there with you Judy?" Nick responded, his voice tinged with concern.

"Standard procedure in traffic stops is that one officer stays in the car, and this, however strange, is a traffic stop." Judy responded matter-of-factly. "I'll be fine." Her voice was softer on the last sentence.

She started walking to the van. Nick glanced back at the boar standing outside, and he fixed his gaze on the mammal. His eyes widened as he came to a realization.

"Judy, No!"

Judy turned back to Nick, a look of terror etched on her face. At that moment the boar grabbed her, and shoved a tranquilizer into her shoulder. She cried, "Nick! Help!" before slipping into unconsciousness. At the same time, the side doors of the van opened, revealing a pair of boars, clutching rifles. The cruiser's windshield erupted into a spider web of cracks as bullets rained down on it. Nick ducked down, grabbed the radio, and screamed, "Armed suspects at Herd and Antler! Firing on my cruiser! THEY HAVE JUDY!"

"10-4 Wilde, we'll have units there in two minutes, stay safe."

Two minutes. Nick had to keep Judy safe for two minutes. He leaped beside the car and looked over, realizing that Judy was nowhere in sight. "Judy is in one of the vans!" he called into his personal radio. The vans rumbled to life, and backup was still nowhere to be found. He jumped into the driver's seat, unable to see through the broken glass. Nevertheless, he had to give chase. He couldn't let them take his bunny without a fight! He stuck his head out the window and pounded the gas, fury burning in his eyes.

"Dispatch, this is Officer Wilde, I'm following the vans but where is my damn backup!"

The vans sped away in front of him, still raining bullets on the cruiser. One of them knocked the tip off of Nick's ear. The adrenaline masked the pain, and Nick didn't even notice.

"Dispatch, my car can't take much more of this! Moving to immobilize the vehicles."

"Don't get yourself killed, Wilde." Bogo's voice growled through the static.

Nick realized he had no hope of stopping both cars, they were too far apart. If he chose wrong, they would get away with Judy. The decision was sickening, and Nick felt as though he finally understood what others meant when they said the weight of the world was on their shoulders. His world revolved around this choice. He picked the leftmost van.

As they approached a bend in the road, Nick cut the corner and put his car in font of the van, driver's side facing the oncoming vehicle. Nick pulled his head into the car just before impact.

The van rammed into his car with a loud crack. The windshield shattered, broken glass showering the fox. The cars skidded down the road before coming to a stop, while the other van skidded, but managed to continue down the road. Nick pulled himself out of the cruiser and pointed his sidearm at the disabled vehicle.

"Don't you dare move!" He shouted, growling in his rage. "WHERE IS THE BUNNY!"

The boar in the driver's seat smiled. "Other van. You chose wrong, fox."

Nick charged at the mammal, baring his teeth, but he was stopped by a gray arm blocking his path.

"Hold back, Wilde!" the Chief barked.

Nick hadn't noticed the officers arriving during the crash. He looked at the buffalo, tears stinging his eyes.

"Did you stop the other van? She's in there! Judy's in there..." Bogo shook his head. The fox started sobbing. They were pitiful cries, laced with grief and regret. He was a wounded animal, battered, beaten, and alone. Despite this, he managed to choke out a few words.

"I know who did this."


	3. Chapter 3

"And why should I put you on the case when you're obviously compromised, Wilde?" Bogo snapped, leaning over his desk at the fox.

"Because I'll do everything in my power to find her and bring the thugs that did this to justice, even if I have to turn in my badge to do it. Might as well let me use police resources. It'll let you keep an eye on me too. Besides, you and I both know that I have the only real lead on this case." His speech was calm and collected, although his eyes betrayed the anger in his heart.

"It's not helping your cause that you're withholding exactly what this 'lead' is."

"I'll tell you once you assign me the case, Chief."

The buffalo sighed. "Fine, you've got the case, now tell me your lead."

"Boars trying to shoot mammals up in broad daylight? Trademark sign of the Union for Prey Protection, UPP for short. They're also called the 'Chomper Stompers.' Lovely name, I know. They're a prey-supremacist gang that operates primarily out of Savannah Central, with a presence in other districts." He left out the possible motivation for the crime, although to him it was clear. They wanted to get to him. Be it for his friendship with Judy or being the first fox cop, he was the real target. She was just collateral damage, and it was his fault.

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that. Do you know where they might have taken her?"

"Not a clue, maybe we should talk to the friendly mammal in the holding cell downstairs, hm?"

The boar fidgeted in his seat, constantly aware of the presence of the two officers behind him. The room was spare, with only his chair, a table, and two chairs opposite him. The door slammed open, and in strode a fox clad in blue. The officer's jaw was set, and despite the fact that the boar was twice the fox's size, the other mammal's gaze struck fear into his heart. The fox's ear was missing its tip, and he was covered in bandages, his fur speckled with blood. He sat down, and addressed the boar.

"Good afternoon, Derek, is it?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Let's not get ourselves caught up in pleasantries, what is your occupation?"

He was shocked by the fox's businesslike demeanor. He noted that the mammal facing him was likely shaken, perhaps he could get to him. . .

"Piss off, chomper."

"Language! Tsk tsk. Does your mother know you talk that way?" He chided. "Now let's answer the question, please, if you ever want to get out of this hole. We've got enough to send you to jail for a long time. . .How does Tundratown Maximum Security sound?" The boar gulped. Tundratown Max was a majority pred prison, UPP folks did not do well there. . .perhaps he should cooperate.

"I work at Dolly's Hardware in the Meadowlands, I'm a forklift operator."

The fox made a note of his comment and continued, "and the address?"

"335 East 77th."

He took down the address, and then locked eyes with the boar.

"And this isn't a drug front, is it?"

The boar stammered. Now he was in trouble. The damn fox had tricked him!

"N. . .no, of course not."

"So I suppose if we drop by, we can tell your coworkers about the publicity their good friend Derek gave them. And they'll like that right? Surely they won't have any, *ahem*, issues with you telling us?" The fox leaned in, a flicker of a smile passing over his muzzle. "Because if they do, you're going to have problems."

The boar slumped over in his seat, defeated. He had no choice but to spill the beans.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing much, just tell me why you shot me and kidnapped my partner."

"Give me witness protection, and I'll talk."

The fox sighed, and looked down at the table. "Despite how much I hate you, and everything you stand for, it's yours. Now talk."

"The boss told us to go after you."

"Tuskerson?"

"Naw, we got a new boss. Keeps to himself. I don't know who he is."

The fox nodded, appearing to believe him.

"And what was the plan?"

"Simple, kill you, or if we could, take you alive."

"And where does my partner fit in here?"

"You mean the bunny? I don't know, my job was to get you. She's a pred-lover, so it wouldn't surprise me if she was on the hit too."

The fox growled, but suppressed it. Even so, his voice was gravelly as he continued.

"And do you know where she might be now?"

"No idea, probably at one of our safe houses." The boar shrugged.

The animal across from him stood up abruptly, and stormed to the door, but he stopped before he reached it "Have fun in prison."

No! He had promised him protection!

"But. . ."

"I said you would get witness protection, not a pardon." The fox turned around and looked into his eyes. "And I'll see to it that the rest of your life you'll be safely sequestered from both your buddies and the rest of society by prison bars." He strode out and slammed the door.

Nick walked over to his computer, and pulled up the information the department had on the UPP.

Union for Prey Protection - "Chomper Stompers"

Known Leaders:  
Jamie Tuskerson: 1995-?

Known Attributes:  
Prey-supremacist  
Primarily Suine

Known Locations:

The Meadowlands - Drug Front (Location Unknown)  
Tundratown - Fishpacking District - Warehouse Section - Safe house  
Savannah Central - Headquarters (Location Unknown)  
Multiple Smaller Drug Fronts

Taking note of the known locations, Nick opened up the city's traffic camera feed. He found the time and place they took Judy, and started watching. He looked away when he saw the gunshots, but he clenched his teeth and forced himself to follow the van on the cameras. It took a turn onto a side road, out of sight of the cameras. Nick knew he would have to scour hours of film to see where it might have come out, if it had at all. "Do it for Judy. . ." He whispered to himself. "Do it for Judy."

Five hours into his search, something caught his eye. It was the van, entering the tunnel to Tundratown.

Judy was in Tundratown.

Nick raced to the Chief's office, the bags under his eyes visible even through his fur.

He knocked on the door and Bogo waved him in.

"Got something Wilde? . . .Goodness, you look horrible. It's been two days since you last slept!" The buffalo expressed genuine concern.

"No time, Chief. Judy's in Tundratown, probably at the UPP safe house in the Fishpacking District. We have to go get her."

Bogo mulled over his options. "I'll give you five units, with more on standby if you manage to find the place. Remember, you have a whole district to search."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

The haggard fox walked out of the room saying one thing.

"I'm coming for you Judy."


	4. Chapter 4

The cruisers tore through the night, their sirens off to avoid suspicion. The fox in the lead car called out on the radio.

"All units, once we get into Tundratown remember that we're splitting up. Take your assigned routes to the warehouses."

As the chorus of "10-4" died down, Nicholas Wilde was again alone with his thoughts.

This is your fault.

He grit his teeth and stared at the road.

She trusted you.

"I'm going to find her now." He growled.

She shouldn't have.

In a desperate attempt to clear his head, the fox grasped at the radio and shouted "All units! Confirm that you are on course!"

The static lingered a moment too long before the replies came rolling in. Only the last one caught Nick's attention.

"10-4...something wrong with you Wilde?"

He hesitated, but eventually managed to force out a simple statement.

"Let's just focus on the mission." He was mostly talking to himself.

Something caught his eye and Nick slammed on the brake. He had almost rear-ended the car in front of him. Pulled out of his thoughts, he looked around. The bright lights of downtown Tundratown had been replaced with the smokestacks and warehouses of the Fishpacking District. Mercifully, the torturous drive was coming to an end.

"I still don't understand how we're going to find her." Delgato whispered. "The Warehouse District is massive!"

"We can narrow it down." Nick responded stoically. "In the first place, they can't be on the main roads because the traffic cameras would catch them. Second, they can't be in an active part of the district. That leaves Sector 5, which I gave to Wolford and his team, and Sector 10 right here."

The tiger huffed. "Good work, foxy. You might just make detective with that kind of skill."

The compliment elicited no reaction from the fox, who started walking down the road.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Delgato shouted after him.

"I'm going to find our missing officer. It should be a good idea to talk to some of the mammals that live here. Tell your partner to stay on lookout."

"Wilde, this is an industrial area. Nobody lives here!" Confusion was etched onto the cat's face.

"That's what you think. Unfortunately, some folks can't afford better accommodations."

The fox continued down the street for a few more paces, before he stopped and started sniffing the air. He abruptly slid open the door of one of the warehouses and strode in.

"Reggie! How is my favorite raccoon doing today?"

In the corner of the warehouse, the raccoon was leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette, his fur singed at the edges, and the faint lines of a black eye on his face. Behind him was a makeshift bed. He took another puff before responding.

"Nicky, you look...terrible. What on earth happened to you?" The raccoon motioned at his limp ear and haphazard bandages.

"Nothing you need to worry about. You owe me a favor; and I'm gonna cash it in."

The raccoon squinted at his uniform. "Wait, you work for the fuzz now?" He laughed. "And I thought Fin was just pulling my leg! Good on you! We know I'm never gettin' out of this hole.

"Aw, don't say that Reg. So about that favor...you seen any boars doing anything unusual around these parts?"

"You mean the Chomper Stompers?"

"That's the one."

"You don't even need to call in that favor. I just want them gone. They gave me this!" He pointed to his black eye. "You'll do all us preds a service by getting rid of them."

Nick's ears perked up. "So you've seen them?

"'Course I do. They're in Sector 5. Can't remember anywhere closer than that. Look out for the white vans."

White vans...he and Judy had been stopped by white vans! Nick had to get going. But first, some business.

"So Reg, the department is running a program for ex-cons. Get your records sealed, employment help, the works! It'll be great-"

Reggie cut him off. "You need a character witness for those, and I don't have one. Just face it, I'm here for life."

"You didn't let me finish. I'll be your witness. I'm a cop, they have to trust me!" Nick offered a friendly smile.

The raccoon's mouth fell open. "You...you would do that for me?"

"Sure would, I'll help you get started once I'm done with this case. See ya' round." The fox turned to walk out.

Reggie yelled after him. "Wait! You know the UPP?"

"Yes?"

"Give 'em hell."

As Nick and Delgato strode back to the squad car, Delgato hesitated, and then spoke to Nick in a low tone. "So...you know that guy?"

Nick gave a puzzled look before responding.

"Sure I do. He's one of my friends from back in the day."

"Isn't he, y'know, a criminal?"

Nick stopped and looked back at him.

"Not any more, got into some bad stuff as a young guy, and raccoons with rap sheets don't get jobs. He decided to get out of the life anyway, which is why he's living out here. Why do you think he was so happy to see me become a cop?"

Nick opened the door and motioned for Delgato to join him. As the feline sat down, he looked at Nick. "You know, you're a really good guy."

The fox's expression sunk. "If I was, we wouldn't be looking for Judy right now."

"You really care about her, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"You know it isn't your fault, right?"

"Keep telling me that and maybe I'll believe it."

Nick picked up the radio and told the other officers to join him in a sweep of Sector 5.

"C'mon, we've got a job to do."

"I think we've found them!" Wolford's should blared over the radio. "4th and 60th, grey warehouse with a few white vans parked out front."

Nick responded immediately. "Sounds like the place, all units go to 4th and 70th." His paw was shaking as he put the radio down. They were going to find her! His heart raced as he envisioned the prospect of reuniting with his best friend. His paw slammed on the gas and he raced through the streets, his attention focused solely on Judy. He slowed down only as he approached his destination, careful not to make too much noise. He rounded the corner and a flash of white flickered into his vision. It was the van.

They were here.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm going in."

The other officers were shocked. Delgato gathered up the courage to respond. "Are you crazy? You'll get killed! Face it Nick, we need to call in SWAT." The group nodded their agreement.

The fox tried to respond with a level voice. "If they know we're here, Judy...well...they'll..." His voice trailed off. "Simply put, we can't let them know we're here. I'm the smallest, plus I have night vision. You can call SWAT once we get out or if we get caught. Is that clear?"

The officers hesitated.

He repeated himself with a growl. "Is that clear?"

Delgato nodded, and slowly the rest of the group joined in.

"Now, I want you all to set up a perimeter. Be quiet, who knows what'll happen if they find us out here."

A glowing pair of eyes was trained on the compound door. They glanced back and forth, taking stock of the motley crew of boars standing guard there. The eyes widened slightly as they noticed a gap, thirty seconds where a side door was totally unprotected. It was an opportunity, one that the owner of those eyes was going to pounce on. The fox slinked across the street separating him from the compound, and promptly hid behind the wheel of one of the cars out front. Now he just had to wait for his chance.

The boar stepped out from his post to check the surrounding area. A flash of red crossed his vison, but he dismissed it as nothing more than the effect of his lack of sleep.

The fox sprinted through the door and immediately hid, careful to avoid alerting anyone inside the building. Now he only had one goal, to find his bunny. He decided to move towards the basement. A flight of stairs were to his left, and after checking to see if there was anyone there, he descended them quietly. Upon rounding the corner at the bottom of the stairs, Nick snapped back. There were two gang member standing guard and chatting.

"So about that bunny they brought here..."

"Oh, the cop? Yeah, she sure is a tough nut to crack."

Nick shuddered with rage, but a reminder of the task at hand calmed him.

"Focus on Judy."

He decided the best way around the guards was to distract them. He took a pair of handcuffs off of his belt, wound up, and hurled them down the hallway, where they impacted the far wall with a loud "BANG!"

The guards rushed over to the source of the noise, and Nick darted through the door. He was in a rough warehouse with doors extending down the hall for some distance. Judy could be behind any of them, and it could take hours to search them all. He was startled out of his thoughts by the voice of one of the boars.

"Let's go check up on Officer Hoppsy, shall we?"

Or he could just follow the guards. Ducking behind haphazardly placed trash cans and boxes, the fox trailed the boars at a distance before they stopped, unlocked one of the doors, and went in.

"There you are little bunny, how are we doing?"

Even Nick's vulpine hearing could not pick up on what happened after the boars went in, but it drove his anger all the same.

As the boars left the room and walked back to their posts, the fox slinked towards the door. A familiar scent wafted into his nose. Judy. The sensation nearly brought Nick to tears. He pulled hard down on the door handle, his heart swelling with joy. His hand jolted to a stop. The door was locked, and he had to pick it. He looked back to the guards, again caught up in conversation. If they glanced up they could easily see him. He had to move quickly. Nick pulled out a pair of bobby pins and went to work. The fear burned inside him at the thought of getting caught and losing her.

The last pin finally clicked into place. He threw open the door and rushed in. In front of him sat a gray bunny, his gray bunny, sound asleep in a chair. He noticed that he arms and legs were tied to it, and worse, her leg was heavily bruised.

A mixture of fury and joy rose within him. He pulled out a knife and began cutting the ties, checking over his shoulder at the door. Judy's eyes opened slowly, and focused on the fox in front of her.

"N...Nick? Nick!" She shouted with glee. Nick clasped a paw over her mouth. "Shh! You're still under guard."

He broke the last tie and motioned for her to follow him. Judy surveyed Nick's shredded ear, haphazard bandages, and blood-matted fur. "Wait Nick, what happened to you? You look terrible!"

Nick evaded the question. "Come on, we have to go." A note of urgency was noticeable in his voice. Judy hesitated before responding. "Nick...I'm not sure if I can walk. They hurt my leg when they threw me in the van."

Nick kept a calm facade, for Judy's sake. "Then l'll carry you." He picked her up gingerly, and moved towards the door. He poked his nose through the entryway to see if the guards had come back. Seeing that they had not, he ran down the hallway away from the stairway.

"Where are you going Nick? The exit is that way!"

"I think there's another way out here, it'll be too difficult to sneak you past-" He was cut off by the blaring of an alarm.

"Well, that's not good."

He took off down the hallway, hearing the footsteps of the guards behind him. He saw an exit sign above an otherwise unassuming door.

"Good thing they kept this building up to code, eh Carrots?"

As they reached the top of the staircase, the flashing lights of the ZPD outside caught his attention. They were just through an open door at the end of the hallway. He and Judy were only seconds from safety! He bolted down the hall, beaming with glee.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by a massive impact on his side. He was thrown into the floor, tearing the stitches in his chest, and worst of all making him lose his grip on Judy. He noticed the boar who had hit him was planning to rush at a helpless Judy, and the bleeding fox ran over to her and pulled her tight to his chest. In his haste, his claws caught on her flesh, and the bunny's blood started to run through his fingers.

Judy yelped in pain. "Nick! Stop! It hurts!" That scream would be on his mind for a long time.

First he had to deal with the problem at hand, the boar. The fox pulled out his tranquilizer and fired. The mammal kept running, trying to reach the pair before the effects of the dart set in. Nick cradled Judy to his chest, hoping to protect her if they were hit again. They never were, and the boar collapsed at Nick's feet.

His path now unimpeded, he carried Judy out of the door and past the elated ZPD officers. His vision starting to blur, he searched for an ambulance. Seeing one, he carried Judy to the paramedics and handed her to them. As the doors to the ambulance closed, his vision went dark and the battered fox collapsed to the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

Judy's alarm went off a little earlier this morning. She leapt out of bed with glee at its call. Today was the day Nick came back to work! Her morning routine went by almost instantaneously, and before she knew it she was walking through the glass doors of Precinct One with a broad grin. She chatted idly with the ever-bubbly Clawhauser, her eyes trained on the door.

The conversation shifted to Judy's first day on the force, and she continued with her story. "And then-" The bunny stopped, her eyes going wide before she shouted "NICK!" She ran over to the fox walking through the doors. Judy wrapped him in a warm embrace, whispering, "I missed you." Nick groaned in pain before responding, "Alright Officer Hopps, let's be gentle with the wounded animal." She pulled away and started to apologize, but the fox cut her off. "Don't you dare apologize for being nice, let's get down to the bullpen."

Judy hopped alongside Nick as they walked through the precinct, talking the whole way. A smile remained plastered on her face as she thought about how things were finally back to normal. The two rounded the corner and entered the bullpen, sitting, as usual, in their shared chair near the front. Nick was greeted with appreciation by his comrades as they trickled into the room.

The Chief opened with his customary three orders of business. "First, I am happy to announce that our very own Officer Nicholas Wilde had returned to active duty." He was interrupted by the hoots, hollers, and howls of the officers welcoming the fox that had become so much one of their own, and Nick smiled meekly at their response. The Chief cleared his throat and the room again went silent. "In recognition of his quick wit, determination, and most importantly his willingness to sacrifice his own life for his fellow officer, I have decided to nominate him for the Department's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal. He is an example for us all." The cacophony of praise returned even louder. A conflicted look crossed the fox's face for a moment before being replaced with a tentative grin. This development did not escape Judy's attention, although she dismissed it as immaterial.

The two were assigned to continue the investigation into the boss that had ordered the attack that had torn their lives asunder. The Chief grabbed the fox's shoulder as he left the room and pulled him aside. He cleared his throat and began speaking in a low tone. "You know Wilde, I'll admit that I didn't trust you at first, but you've proven yourself a good officer and a good mammal." He paused. "Now go solve that case so you and that bunny can have some peace. Nobody gets away with hurting my officers." The buffalo motioned for him to rejoin his partner, and Nick did so with a parting salute.

The two walked to their shared desk and sat down. Judy logged into her computer and asked, "Why don't we pull up the interrogation reports of the boars you found earlier and see what we can glean from them." The documents soon appeared on the computer screen and the pair went to work. The fox's typical nonchalant demeanor had been replaced by an intense focus on the task at hand. After meticulously combing through the reports over a few hours, they had learned one thing. They knew nothing about the boss. They did, however, find the name of the mammal who was personally in charge of the hit. Their investigation would now focus on Lucia Tusks, who was, unsurprisingly, a boar.

The now-weary fox offered a suggestion. "Let's go down to Records and see what they have in Ms. Tusks' file." The bunny wholeheartedly agreed, and bounded down the hall towards the stairs. She skidded to a halt upon the realization that she was well ahead of her partner. She turned back and took a second look. He was not in as good a shape as she had thought. His ear remained shredded, he walked with a pronounced limp, and there were flecks of blood on the tips of his fingers, surrounding his significantly shorter claws. It was an unhappy sight. She jogged back over to him and they walked together to the basement. After checking in with the less-than-helpful receptionist, the pair made their way to the files and started looking through them.

After some time, Judy looked up for a moment and, her voice laced with concern, asked her partner, "Are you alright, Nick?" The fox returned a comforting look and responded, "So long as you're safe, I'm okay." He ruffled the fur on her head and went back to searching the folders. Judy was unsatisfied with the answer, but resolved to pursue the matter after the case was finished.

After some time, they found Tusks' file and looked through it. Nick narrated aloud her rap sheet. "Illegal possession of a firearm...aggravated assault...harassment. It looks like we have ourselves an enforcer, and judging by the attack on the two of us, a pretty high-up one." Judy mulled over his words before asking, "So, what can we do to find her?" Nick responded almost instantaneously. "We talk to the people she's hurt before, they'll have the best idea about how she operates." Judy responded with frustration. "But all the victims' statements are in this folder and they don't help at all." Nick looked down at her with a smile. "Oh, you naive little bunny. You seriously think most of her victims would feel comfortable talking to the fuzz? No, we have to approach the mammals that didn't come forward. I know a few folks we can have a chat with." Nick's face evidenced no pride in his investigative prowess.

"Sounds good, lets-" the bunny was cut off by a loud "BANG!" Her partner threw himself in front of her, his arms spread wide in a protective posture. He let out a low growl as he searched the area for threats. He relaxed only when the culprit was found to be a folder fallen from a high shelf. Even so, he was noticeably on edge. Judy walked to the door and noticed that Nick was still rooted to the same spot. She motioned for him to join her. "Come on Nick, let's get going." Nick shook himself to clear his head and followed.


	7. Chapter 7

The cruiser rolled through Savannah Central's Fifth Ward. The car's driver, upon surveying the neighborhood, commented to her partner with a hint of pity, "This neighborhood isn't exactly...perfect." Her partner remained expressionless as he responded, "I grew up here Judy, my mom still lives down the street." The bunny only managed an apologetic "Oh." Nick continued, "Don't worry about it." A tense silence settled over the pair.

They drove a few more blocks before Nick asked in a guarded tone, "Say, what exactly did those animals due to you?" Judy responded without hesitation, "Other than hurting my leg? Not much. The doctor said my worst injury was from your claws..." She trailed off. That had not been the right thing to say. A pained expression formed on Nick's face before he hid it behind a half-lidded neutral expression. Looking outside, he flatly stated "We're here."

Judy pulled the cruiser over into a nondescript parking lot, empty but for a few rusting vehicles on one side. Nick immediately left the car and walked purposefully to the west end of the lot. His partner caught up to him quickly and inquired as to where they were going. He responded in the same distant tone, "Just a neighborhood spot for some old friends of mine." The pair rounded a corner and found a pocket park that had seen better days. The grass was yellowing and many of the benches were broken. Seated at a table in the center were a half-dozen animals, all of whom were predators and most of whom had seen better days.

Nick approached the group with a friendly smile, which they responded to with angry sneers. Having expected this reaction, Nick continued without a hitch, "Alright, I know you guys aren't happy with my life choices." He pointed to his badge before resuming, "But I need your help." One of them, a short weasel, snapped back, "And why should we care?" Nick was prepared for this as well, and he responded with syrupy voice, "So we can get the Chomper Stompers out of your hair. Sound good now?" After sharing some glances among themselves, the group nodded hesitantly. "So, spill. Who do you know that has had a good few run ins with these boars?" They pointed Nick to another one of his old friends, Dustin Furos, an electronics dealer on the other side of the Ward. He and Judy thanked them and made their way back to the cruiser, which Judy took back onto the road.

They stopped outside a generic storefront distinguished only by a neon sign proclaiming, "Dusty's Electronics." As the two walked through the door, Nick put on a wide grin and exclaimed, "Dustin! How long has it been?" With the skill of a trained con-artist, the fox slickly maneuvered the ferret behind the counter into a discussion about the safety of his store then to broader problems in the area, and finally to gang violence. He allowed Dusty to bring up the UPP so that he would be more willing to speak freely. Eventually Nick gleaned that Tusks led patrols around Savannah Central's predator-heavy neighborhoods, and was likely to show up again in the area that night. He thanked the ferret and the pair left.

Nick and Judy sat in their cruiser, waiting for the trademark white van of their targets. Judy noted how, despite its less-than-desirable status, the Fifth Ward was one of the most mixed neighborhoods in the city. Predator and prey interacted freely and openly. A fox helped an old sheep across the street. A deer and raccoon chatted behind the counter of their shop. In some sense, it was the Zootopian ideal. She tried to imagine what it must have been like to grow up in such a place. She looked over to the fox who had saved her life, who seemed to be lost in thought himself. She tentatively asked, "So...how was it growing up around here?" Nick sighed and responded, sincerity evident in his tone, "It was a bit rougher then than it is now, though it was still a very mixed neighborhood. It had a real community feel to it though, predator or prey, most of us seemed to be in it together. Although as you know, the actions of a few can do a lot of damage." Judy's heart sunk as she remembered the treatment he had undergone as a child. Realizing that this was an opportunity to get him to open up about his life, she pressed on. "You talked about your mother, how was she?"

"She was great, even after, well, I really wasn't. She was always supportive, and all around a good mom." He leaned back in his seat, a toothy grin on his face. After a moment, his eyes widened and he snapped his maw shut and placed a paw over it, before mumbling out an apology. Judy tried to ask what he was apologizing for, but decided against it; she had pushed him enough tonight. After a few minutes of silence, her eyes caught a white can moving through the neighborhood. Nick told her in a hurried whisper, "She's in there, get ready to go now." Judy responded incredulously, "How do you know that?" Nick quipped back, "Night vision! Now go!"

Judy pulled out behind the van, careful to stay at a safe distance. Her heart raced as she considered the stakes of their investigation. A mistake could cost them not only their only lead, but their lives. Nick called in for backup on the radio, his voice as calm as before. Even in her excited state, Judy noticed this significant change in the fox's demeanor. Since the incident he seemed totally focused on catching the culprit, all concern for himself abandoned. Confirmation of backup crackled through the radio, and Judy eased the cruiser to a stop, having noticed that the van was doing the same. The pair ducked under the dash, looking up only periodically.

"What are they doing Nick?"

"Looks like they're planning to do something to the joint on the right."

"What's the place? I can't see it." Nick peeked over the dash again, and he let out a slight gasp before whispering, "It's a pred restaurant, looks like there are still mammals in there though." A call came in on the scanner. "We've got a report from some employees that not everyone is out of the restaurant, the night staff is still there. Protecting civilians is paramount." The importance of the message was underscored by the fact that it was Bogo's voice on the other end. The pair looked up again. A brick sailed through the window of the restaurant, and after a moment a group of boars left the van and ran into the building. Judy pointed to the largest one. "That's her. That's the one that attacked us." Nick's eyes narrowed. "We have to catch her."


	8. Chapter 8

Nick and Judy leapt out of the cruiser and ran for the back entrance of the restaurant. If they didn't manage to get the employees out, they could have a hostage situation on their hands. Nick pulled on the metal door, which was intended for mammals far smaller than he, and the two officers slipped into the kitchen.

Judy heard movement in one corner and motioned for Nick to join her. In that corner, underneath a blender that had been shattered in haste, there cowered a trio of small predators. While the bunny tried to comfort them and coax them to move outside, Nick searched for the intruders. His keen nose twitched as he sniffed the air. A loud crash from the front of the establishment caught everyone's attention, and they spied shadowy shapes prowling about in the dining area where just hours before dozens of predators had been enjoying their evening.

Hastened by the sight, the bunny nearly threw the employees out the door and urged them to run. As they left, the familiar blue and red lights of the ZPD appeared near the front. The cavalry had arrived. Unfortunately for Nick and Judy, the boars wanted nothing more than to get away from the cavalry, and the obvious direction was through the kitchen. Nick fumbled for his radio as Judy pulled both of them into an empty cupboard.

They sat there huddled together for a moment, their hearts racing as they watched the boars enter the room. Nick quietly called in the location of the gang members, and asked for help around the rear of the building. His voice shook, as did his paws. The officers' hearts skipped a beat when the largest boar stopped in her tracks and started smelling the air. She slowly turned towards their hiding place and approached. They were trapped.

"What do we do?" Judy whispered. "Get ready to run," Nick countered with a smirk. He flung open the cupboard door, waited a moment, and hurled his radio at their adversary's snout. It collided with a loud "POP!" and the pair sprinted for the door. The dazed criminal failed to catch them in time, and they raced into the waiting perimeter set by their fellow officers. Now it was the boars who were trapped. As she stopped to catch her breath, Judy cracked a smile and quipped, "Smooth move, Slick." Nick returned a smile, and retorted, "You expected anything else?" The two relished in their apparent victory.

The calm was short-lived. As everyone knows, a trapped animal will only fight harder. Though evolved, the boars did the same. Gunfire rang out through the dismal treetops of the Fifth Ward as their weapons were turned on the officers. The ZPD returned fire in kind while Nick and Judy ducked behind a barrier. The fox subtly positioned himself so that he was between the crossfire and his partner. He would keep her safe this time.

Fortunately, such efforts were not needed, because the shooting stopped as suddenly as it began. The criminals stumbled out of the building with their hooves up. Nick counted on his fingers before shouting, "That's not all of them!" The officers tensed, and one shouted out an order for the remaining criminals to come out. Nick and Judy remained fixated on the scene as their original suspect strolled out of the building, the smirk on her face a stark contrast to the terrified expressions of her comrades. The officer again shouted at her to put her hooves up. She rolled her eyes and lazily complied, before fixing her gaze squarely on Nick. The boars complied with the rest of the ZPD's demands, their suspect maintaining her aloof demeanor. Nick was assigned to bring her back to the precinct while Judy stayed to help with the investigation.

The ride was quiet; the only sound was the hum of the cruiser's tires and the ambient sounds of a city transitioning from evening to night. Nick kept his eyes focused on the road, trying not to steal glances at the monster in the backseat. Unfortunately for him, the monster decided to speak.

"You know Officer Wilde, you do seem to be focusing very intently on the road right there." Her voice dripped with a smugness even Nick had rarely encountered. He kept his eyes facing forward and didn't respond.

"Oh come on, won't you talk to me? I'm sure a good few of your foxy friends have been sitting right where I am!"

"Ms. Tusks, I'm going to have to ask you to be silent." His voice was measured, but carried a menace under the surface.

"Why should I? If I'm going away for a long time I might as well have some fun with it." She waited for a moment, and noticing Nick's furtive glances at her she continued, "I did have a motive for taking that bunny, you know."

He tensed, and she knew this was where she should work. If she pushed hard enough the whole facade would come crumbling down.

"I'll even tell you!" She smiled before finishing in a drawn out voice. "It was because she cared about you."

After Nick dropped the boar off for interrogation, he was again left alone with his thoughts. As he sat down in a nearly empty subway car on his way home, he couldn't escape the criminal's words. Was he really the reason that Judy had gotten hurt? Did his decision to become her friend put her in danger? Was he a threat?

As he came to his neighborhood, he walked in a daze back to his apartment. His surroundings were pleasantly impersonal. The fox who had opened up so again reveled in being a closed book. He walked past mammals on the street with a long-practiced indifference. This wasn't enough to help him anymore, he soon realized. His problem wasn't with caring too much about what other mammals thought, it was that those mammals cared too much about him.

He slipped into bed, and the thoughts kept at him. As the minutes turned into hours, the fox remained awake, tormented by his own conscience. Facing him in his bed was a picture of him and the source of his troubles, the bunny who cared too much. He took the picture and turned it face-down on the table.


End file.
